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Yourself and others LISTENING
Listening Part 1
5
Page 94
1.02 Work in pairs. For each of questions 2–8, ask and answer the questions in Exercise 3. Then listen and do the exam task. Quick steps to Listening Part 1 Listen carefully to the number and question to be sure that you’re looking at the right one. Don’t choose an answer until you’ve heard the whole extract. You can always change your mind about an answer while you’re listening or when you listen again. •
• •
Exam task You will hear people talking in eight di fferent situa tions. For ques tions 1–8, choose the best answer ( A, B or C). 1
You You hear a reporter talking on the radio. Where is he? A outside a training ground B outside an expensive hotel C outside somebody’s house
5
You You overhear a conversation in a holiday resort. Who is the woman? A a waitress B a tourist C a café owner
2
You You hear a woman talking about travelling to work every day. day. How does she feel about the daily train journey? A It is often quite tiring. B It is a good opportunity to talk to people. C It is a relaxing way to begin the day.
6
You You hear a man talking about about staying healthy. What is he doing to improve his fitness? A eating less food B going to the gym C walking to work
7
You You hear a woman talking about her home. Where does she live? A in a city-centre flat B in a house in the suburbs C in a country cottage
8
You You overhear two people talking about finding something. How does the woman feel? A grateful B relieved C concerned
1 Work in pairs. Look at the photos. W hat are
the people doing? How much t ime each day do you spend: a) studying or working, b) travelling, and c) relaxing? Tell your partner. 2 With your partner, look at the exam task .
Answer these questions. T hen check your answers in the Listening guide on page 94. 1 2 3
How many extracts will you hear? Is there any connection between the extracts? Do you both read and hear each question?
3 Look at question 1 in the exam t ask.
3
Answer these questions. 1
2
How many speakers will you hear? Are they female or male? What is the situation? Part 1 questions may focus, for instance, on opinion, purpose or place. What is the focus of Where is he?
4 Read the recording script for question 1.
Which is the correct answer (A, B or C)? Why? Why are the other two wrong? I’m standing here in Church Avenue with about thirty other media people, but by the look of the place there isn’t anybody in. Nobody’s quite sure if he’ll be back later this afternoon – or whether he’s spending the weekend away, perhap perhapss at at a luxury luxury hotel hotel in the the city city centre centre.. What does seem clear, though, is that he’s unlikely to play in Sunday’s big match – otherwise these TV crews would be waiting at the gates of the club’s training ground to film him, not here.
8
UNIT 1
C
B
4
You You overhear a woman talking on the phone. Why is she calling? A to apologise for a mistake B to refuse to do something C to deny she did something You You hear a man talking about about reading books. Why does he enjoy reading at home? A It helps him pass the time. B It enables him to spend time alone. C It makes a change from his job.
Exam tip
Listen to the speakers’ tone, as well as to the actual words they use. A
6 Have you chosen an answer for every question? Even if you’re not
sure, you could be right.
LISTENING
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GRAMMAR FOR USE OF ENGLISH
Review of present tenses Page 102
1 In pairs, match extracts a–g from the
recording in Listening with rules 1–7. I’m standing here in Church Avenue. I live a long way out in the suburbs. Whenever I can, I go into the study. The traffic into town is getting worse all the time. e Somebody is always pushing. f A south-facing room gets lots of sunshine. g This month I’m working particularly hard. a b c d
We use the present simple to talk about: 1 a routine or habit 2 a permanent situation 3 something which is always true We use the present continuous to talk about: 4 something happening right now 5 a temporary situation 6 a situation that is changing or developing 7 something irritating or surprising, using always Note: verbs which describe states, e.g. think, own, have, understand , are normally used in simple tenses, but some can b e continuous when they describe something we do, e.g. I’m thinking of buying a bike. See Grammar reference page 102: stative verbs.
3 Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verbs in
brackets. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Present simple in time clauses
Correct the mistakes in these sentences written by exam candidates. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
I suppose that you are understanding my situation. This evening, people are playing music and have fun. I know that you are liking your job, but in my opinion you are working too hard. I wait for your answer to my letter. Nowadays, I’m preferring to go to work by bicycle. In summer it’s nice to go on a b oat and having dinner on the lake. ‘Sara, can you hear me? I stand on your left, by the bridge.’ The moon and the stars are beautiful, but the streets are dark. Everybody sleeps.
Page 102
4 Look at these extracts from the recording in Listening. Do all
the verbs refer to the future? What tense do we use after time expressions like when? I’ll move back into my place when they finish repainting it on Friday. Next time I want things like that, I’ll buy them online instead. 5 Choose the correct option. 1 2 3
2
Katie’s in, but she (write) an email to someone at the moment. Scientists believe that sea levels (rise) because of global warming. My brother Oliver (quite often / go) mountain biking on Sundays. Pepe (live) with his family in a flat near the town centre. My elder sister (always / shout) early in the morning. It’s really annoying. That notebook on the table (belong) to me. I (stay) with my friends this week while my family are away. In every continent on Earth, the sun (set) in the west. Listen! Ellie (have) an argument with her boyfriend. I know you don’t like nightclubs, so I (not suppose) you want to come with us.
4 5 6
I get / ’ll get some more milk when I go / ’ll go shopping tomorrow. I wait / ’ll wait here until you come / ’ll come back later on. As soon as the film ends / will end tonight, I catch / ’ll catch the bus home. I don’t / won’t move house before I start / ’ll start my new job next month. By the time you arrive / ’ll arrive at 8.30, I am / ’ll be ready to go out. I talk / ’ll talk to my parents tonight once I get / ’ll get home.
6 Complete the sentences about yourself. Then tell your part ner. 1 2 3 4 5 6
I’ll have a meal as soon as ... I think I’ll watch TV after ... I’ll spend less money the next t ime ... I’m going to buy a house when ... I don’t think I’ll have children before ... I won’t stop studying English until ...
GRAMMAR FOR USE OF ENGLISH
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READING
1
3 4
2
Reading Part 3
Exam task
1 In pairs, look at photos 1–4. What do you think a typical
You are going to read an article a bout four people’s daily lives. For questions 1–15, choose from the people ( A–D). The people may be chosen more than once.
day is like for each person? Think about: • • • • •
when they do things like having meals where they go and how they travel who they see what they do to relax how they feel at various times of the day
2 Look at the exam task. Answer these questions. 1 2 3 4 5 6
How many people are there? Is it one text in sections, or is it several short texts? What’s the topic? What must you find? (e.g. Which place … ?) How many questions are there? Can you use letters A, B, C and D several times each?
3 Look quickly at the text and match parts A–D with
photos 1–4. What does each person do?
Which person
sometimes sleeps in the early afternoon?
1
thinks they ought to do more frequent exercise?
2
has to work to a strict timetable?
3
does most of t heir work in the morning?
4
finds out at a mealtime what has been happening?
5
says they have their best ideas late in their working day?
6
has to hurry to catch the train to work?
7
does not always get up at the same time every day?
8
sometimes likes having their work interrupted?
9
4 Look at this Reading Part 3 example question and the
underlined words in the text. There are references to this in parts A, B and D. Why is B right? Why are A and D wrong?
Example: Which person never has breakfast?
B
Quick steps to Reading Part 3 Study the instructions, title and layout, then read quickly through the questions. Scan each section in turn, looking for the answers. Remember that the information you need may not be in the same order as the questions. Be careful with words that appea r to say the same as a particular question, but in fact mean something quite different. •
•
•
dislikes working later than t hey should do?
10
sometimes comes home late at night?
11
believes exercise helps them prepare for t he day ahead?
12
is now more relaxed at work?
13
chooses not to follow local tradition?
14
enjoys answering questions from customers?
15
5 Do the exam task. Underline the words or sentences
that tell you the right answers.
10
UNIT 1
READING
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Different lives A University student Jake Harris is in his first year. ‘Assuming
I don’t oversleep, which can happen if I’ve been out till all hours, I’m out of bed by 7.45. If there’s time, I have some tea and toast, then set off. I used to aim for the 8.25 train, but I kept missing it so nowadays I do the uphill walk into town, which wakes me up and enables me to plan what I’m going to do in the morning and afternoon. From nine till one it’s lessons and a group activity, with a quick break at eleven to grab something to keep me going t ill lunch, when I can relax a bit in the canteen and catch up on the day’s events with friends. The afternoon is similar to the morning, really. After that I sometimes head for the gym, but not as often as I should. Once I get home I work for a few hours and later – if I’m not feeling too exhausted – I go out with friends. I’ve met some fascinating people here!’ B For Assistant Sales Manager Julia Anderson, each day
begins at 6.30 a.m. with a quick shower, a few minutes to get ready, and then a dash to the station to catch the 7.15 into Manhattan. By eight o’clock she’s at her workstation. ‘I need to be there then, before the salespeople st art arriving. I spend the rest of the morning in meetings and dealing with client queries, which for me is one of the most interesting, challenging and worthwhile aspects of the job. Then it’s out for a quick lunch – my first meal of the day – and back to work at 1 p.m., followed by more of the same up to 5 p.m. That’s how things are here: you have to keep to a tight schedule. At first I found working here prett y stressful, but I’m used to it now and it doesn’t bother me. In the evenings I often see friends, but sometimes I’m a little tired and I just stay in and watch TV.’
Exam tip
When you have finished, make sure you have answered all 15 questions.
Adjectives ending in -ed and -ing 6 Find these words in the reading text and complete the rules with - ed and -ing.
C Website Designer Oliver McShane works at home and,
unsurprisingly, is a late riser: ‘rolling out of bed,’ as he puts it, ‘at 9 a.m.’ Switching on his laptop, his first task is to answer any early-morning emails, and then he carries on from where he left off the previous evening. ‘If I have a creative peak,’ he says, ‘that’s when it is, and it takes me a while to get going again the next day. Whenever I’ve stayed up working very late, I make up for it by having a 20-minute lie-down after lunch. Then, when I wake up, I feel refreshed and ready for another long working session. Occasionally I pack my laptop and sit in a café for a while, although I can get distracted from work if I run into someone I know. Actually, I quite welcome that because I probably spend too much time on my own anyway.’ D Anita Ramos is a Tourist Guide who works mornings and
evenings. ‘It’s just too hot to walk around the city in the afternoon,’ she says, ‘so I spend it at home. It’s the custom here to have a sleep after lunch, but I haven’t got time for that. In any case, I’m not tired then because I don’t get up particularly early. When I do, I usually skip breakfast, though sometimes I have cereal or something. Then it ’s off to the office before heading downtown to wherever I’m meeting the first group. I t ake four or five groups out before lunch and I’m supposed to finish around 2 p.m., though there always seems to be someone in the last group who asks lots of questions, which can be a bit irritating if I end up doing unpaid overtime. It also means I risk missing the 2.15 train home. In the evening I have just a couple of groups, and after that I’m free to see friends in a café, go to the cinema or whatever.’ 7 Complete these sentences with -ing and - ed adjectives
formed from the verbs in brackets. Then answer the questions about yourself. 1
At what time of day do you feel most
2
What’s the most seen?
3
When do you sometimes feel a little
4
What’s the most heard recently?
5
When do you feel most
6
Are you or heights?
7
What’s the most heard?
(astonish) story you’ve ever
8
What’s the most English language?
(puzzle) thing about the
exhausted, fascinating (A) refreshed, distracted (C) interesting, challenging (B) tired, irritating (D) 1 2
We use adjectives with to describe how somebody feels about something. We use adjectives with to describe the thing or person which causes the feeling.
(relax)?
(amuse) film you’ve ever (worry)?
(depress) news item you’ve (motivate) to study?
(terrif y) of anything, such as spiders
8 In pairs, compare a typical day in your life w ith those of
the four people in the text. What are the different times in your day like, and how do you feel? Use words from Exercises 6 and 7.
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SPEAKING
Speaking Part 1
Page 96
1 Can you answer these questions about the Speaking test? Then check your answers in t he Speaking guide on page 96. 1 2 3 4
How many examiners are there? Do you answer questions from just one examiner? How many candidates are t here? Do you talk to the other candidate(s) in Part 1?
2 In Part 1, t he examiner may ask you questions like these. What are they about? Which verb tense would you mainly use to reply? 1 2 3 4 5 6
Where are you from? What do you like about living there? Tell me a little about your family. Which time of the year is your favourite? Why? What do you enjoy doing when you are on holiday? What do you use the Internet for?
3 In pairs, read this example conversation from Part 1. What is wrong with Nico’s and Lena’s replies (1–6)? Correct two mistakes. Then study the Quick steps for ways of improving the other four replies. Examiner: Nico: Examiner: Nico: Examiner:
Lena: Examiner: Lena:
Examiner: Nico: Examiner: Nico:
Is your routine at weekends different from your daily routine in the week? (1) Yes. In what ways? (2) I am staying in bed later, of course. I go out with friends after lunch. And what about your routine at weekends, Lena? Is it different from your daily routine? (3) Not really. I have to get up at about the same time. Why? (4) Well, I have a job in a shop and I’m going to work early. It’s a long way from my house. And I arrive home late every day. Now tell me, Nico. How often do you read newspapers or magazines? (5) Repeat. How often do you read newspapers? (6) Not often. I don’t like them much.
Quick steps to Speaking Part 1 Be friendly to the examiners and to the other candidate. Don’t just reply yes, no or I don’t know . Give reasons (because ... , ... so ...) or examples (such as ... , for instance ... , like ...). If you don’t understand a question, politely ask the examiner to repeat it. Ask, for example: Pardon? Could you say that again, please? Sorry?
4 Lena says I arrive home late every day . Look at these expressions and answer the questions. every hour or so from time to time most weekends five times a week hardly ever now and then 1
Where do frequency expressions like every day go in the sentence? Which one means ‘almost never’? Which two mean ‘occasionally’?
2 3
Exam tip
Use as wide a range of grammar and vocabulary as you can.
5 Work with a different part ner. Ask and answer the examiner’s questions in Exercises 2 and 3. 6 How well did you answer t he Part 1 questions? How good were your partner’s answers? Tell each other what you think.
Character adjectives 7 Find out what kind of person your partner is by asking them questions 1–12. Give examples, using expressions like hardly ever, now and then and nearly always, in your replies.
What are you like? 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Do you think about what other people need or want? Do you usually expect good things to happen? Do you behave in a way that is silly and not adult? Do you like telling other people what to do? Are you good at dealing with problems? Do you get annoyed if things happen too slowly? Do you want to be very successful in life? Are you easily upset and do you know when others are upset? Do you find it easy to make up your mind quickly? Do you do things that nobody expects? Are you sensible and fair with other people? Do you find it difficult to plan things well?
•
•
8 In pairs, match the adjectives with questions 1–12. Do they describe your characters correctly? Then use some of these adjectives to say what you think each person in the pictures might be like.
•
12
UNIT 1
ambitious bossy childish decisive disorganised impatient optimistic practical reasonable sensitive thoughtful unpredictable
SPEAKING
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USE OF ENGLISH
Adjective prefixes and suffixes 1 Underline these prefixes and suffixes in the
words in Speaking Exercise 8. One word has both a prefix and a suffix. -able -al dis- -ful -ic im- -ish -ive -itive -ous un- -y 2 Form character adjectives from these words
with the prefixes and suffixes in Exercise 1. Be careful with spelling changes. adventure aggression anxiety artist caution cheek compete emotion energy enthusiasm fool greed help honest pessimist polite popular rely respect sympathy 3 Which of the adjectives describe good
characteristics, and which describe bad? Which can describe good or bad?
Use of English Part 3 4
Correct the mistakes in these sentences written by exam candidates. 1 2 3 4 5 6
You were a charmf ul host, as always. Joey can be quite rude and unpolite. I think that going to work or to school by bike is very healthful. We really enjoyed the festival in spite of the disorganising programme. I’m helpful and sociality, so I’d like a job working with people. Sometimes shopping can be a stressi ng experience.
5 Complete the sentences with the correct
form of the words in brackets. In each case add a prefix and/or a suffix. 1 2 3 4
5 6
Amelia thinks she’ll win, and her family are quite (optimism), too. Question 9 in the quiz was quite (challenge), but I got it right. The team has lost every game, so their fans are feeling (depress). The staff disliked the boss and they were (sympathy) when he lost his job. It was a hot day, but Chloe felt (refresh) after having a cool shower. People seem (enthusiasm) about the TV show. Few are watching it.
6 Look at the exam task. Answer these questions. 1 2 3
How many gaps are there in the text? What do you have to put in each of them? Does this task mainly test grammar or vocabulary?
Quick steps to Use of English Par t 3 • Read the text quickly to find out its purpose and main points. • Study each word in capitals, then the words next to the gap. Do you need a noun, an adjective, or another part of speech? If it’s an adjec tive, is it positive or negative? • Does the word in capitals need more than one change? 7 Quickly read the text, ignoring the gaps for now. What is the purpose
of the text? What is each paragraph about? 8 Look at the example (0). Answer the questions. Then do the exam task. 1 2 3 4
What kind of word probably goes between the and thing? Does it describe how someone feels, or what causes a feeling? What suffix do we use for this? If this suffix begins with a vowel, how does fascinate change?
Exam task For questions 1–10, read the text below. Use the word given in capitals at the end of some of the lines to form a word that fits in the gap in the same line. There is an example at the beginning ( 0). Example: 0 FASCINATING
Same family, different people The three children grew up in the same home, with the same rules and values, but for friends of the family the (0) thing is that now, as young adults, they all have very different (1) . Grace, 23, always has to be busy. She never seems (2) , even in her spare time. Ever since she was a young girl, she has always been highly (3) to succeed, and now that she is working in a business environment she makes no secret of how (4) she is: her aim is to be Managing Director before she is 30.
RELAX MOTIVATE AMBITION
Whereas Grace can sometimes appear rather (5) , even EMOTION cold, Evie has strong feelings about almost everything. She can also be quite (6) to what others say, particularly if she feels their SENSE comments are unfair. But she is always kind to her friends, and (7) whenever any of them calls round to talk about SYMPATHY their problems. Daniel, just 19, is far less sociable and hates being indoors for long. He’s the (8) one of the three. He’s mad about sports ADVENTURE and loves riding motorbikes at (9) speeds. He takes too TERRIFY many risks and he gives his family a lot of (10) moments, ANXIETY but somehow he always manages to get home safely.
Exam tip
When you have finished, make sure you have cha nged all the words in capitals. USE OF ENGLISH
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FASCINATE PERSONAL
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WRITING
Writing Part 2 informal letter
P age
90
1 Look at the exam task and answer t hese questions. 1 2 3
Who has written to you? What does this person want you to do? What style is the extract from the letter written in? Find examples of the following: a contracted forms, e.g. I’m b short, common words, e.g. got c simple linking words, e.g. because d informal punctuation, e.g. dash (–) e friendly expressions, e.g. tell me
Exam task This is part of a letter from an English penfriend, Alex.
I’m lucky because I’ve got really good friends – especially those I’ve known since I was a kid. I don’t know what I’d do without them! So tell me, how important are friends to you? Who’s your best friend and what do you like about him or her? Looking forward to hearing from you soon. Write your letter to Alex in 120–180 words. Do not write any addresses
2 Read the model letter and answer these questions. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Dear Alex, Many thanks for your letter. It was great to hear from you! The first thing I want to say is that I completely agree with you about friends. I see some of mine almost every day and I really miss them when they’re away. My closest friend is Nicole, who’s also a student, is the same age as me and lives just down the road. We’ve been best mates for many years and we tell each other everything, but I think we’ve got quite different personalities. For instance, I can be a bit indecisive at times, but she’s very practical and gets everything done quickly. She’s not bossy, though. In fact, she’s really thoughtful. Whenever I get upset she’s always sympathetic and then she finds a way to cheer me up — she’s got a wonderful sense of humour! I hope one day you can meet her, and that I have the chance to meet your friends, too. Please tell me more about them in your next letter. Write soon! Best wishes, Lydia 3 Think about these questions and note down some ideas for your own letter to Alex. 1
Quick steps to writing a Part 2 informal letter Look at the task, including any text, and decide who you are writing to, why, and which points to include. Note down ideas and decide how many main paragraphs you will need. Then put your ideas under paragraph headings. Begin Dear (friend’s first name) and thank them for their last letter. Keep to your plan and use informal language throughout. Close in a friendly way, asking them to write back. End Lots of love, Best wishes , etc. •
•
Is Lydia’s letter the right length? Has she made any language mistakes? How does she open and close her letter? What does she talk about in her introduction and conclusion? Does she answer all of Alex’s questions? In which main paragraphs? What examples of informal language can you find? What character adjectives does she use? Which phrases of hers might be particularly useful when you write other letters?
2 3 4 5
What does friendship mean to you? How often do you see your fr iends? Who are you going to write about? How long have you known each other? Which character adjectives best describe your friend?
4 Make a plan for your letter. Put your best ideas from Exercise 3 under these headings: 1 Friends in general, 2 Best friend: who, 3 Best friend: why. Then add some details, such as the person’s age or job. You could put the points under each heading into main paragraphs 1, 2 and 3.
•
Exam tip Make sure you leave enough time at t he end to check your letter for mistakes.
•
•
14
UNIT 1
5 Write your letter. When you have finished, check it for the following: • • • • •
correct length all the content asked for in the instructions good organisation into paragraphs correct grammar, spelling and punctuation suitable style of language
WRITING
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Eating and meeting READING
A
B
Reading Part 2 1 Many people start cooking for t hemselves if
they move away from their family home to study. Look at the pictures and discuss these questions with a partner. 1
2
3
Which picture (A or B) probably shows a student’s kitchen? Why? Which is more like the kitchen in your home? Do you often make your own meals? If so, what meals do you cook? What meals cooked by your family do you like most? Which of the objects in the pictures, e.g. pots and pans, oven, freezer, do you or your family use? How?
2 Look at the exam task instructions. Answer
these questions. 1 2 3
What kind of text do you have to read? What do you have to put in gaps 1–7? Do you have to use all of sentences A–H?
3 Quickly read the text, ignoring sentences A–H
for now. Answer these questions. 1 2
Why did Matthew change his cook ing and eating habits? What was the result of this change?
4 Question 1 has been done as an example. Look
at sentence C and the second paragraph of the main text. How do the underlined words link them? Why can’t sentence C fit gap 2?
16
UNIT 2
5 Do the exam task, underlining the words and phrases in
sentences A–H and in the main text which are linked to each other in some way. Quick steps to Reading Part 2 Study the instructions, read the main text for gist, then look quickly at sentences A–H. Study the words next to each gap, then look for similar or contrasting ideas in sentences A–H. Look for vocabulary links, grammatical links, such as verb tenses, reference words, e.g. these , and linking expressions, e.g. but, after, too, ones, so. •
•
•
6 Make sure you have put an answer to every question.
There will be one letter you haven’t used. 7 Find words and phrases in the text that mean the following. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
make food hot so that you can eat it (parag raph 1) eating small amounts of food (paragraph 2) food which is unhealthy but is quick and eas y to eat (paragraph 2) not having your usual breakfast, lunch or dinner (paragraph 2) eating only a particular type of food (paragraph 2) healthy mixture of different types of food (paragraph 5) amounts of food for one person (paragraph 5) very hungry (paragraph 5) making you feel full after you have eaten only a little of it (paragraph 5) find and buy something on sale for less than its usual price (sentence H)
READING
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Exam task You are going to read an article ab out a student who learns to cook for him self. Seven sentences have been removed from the article. Choose from the sentences A–H the one which fits each gap ( 1–7). There is one extra sentence which you do not need to use.
+
Cooking at university For university student Matthew, getting to grips with cooking for himself on his first time away from home was a real learning curve. Now totally at ease in the kitchen, he looks on the experience as literally life-changing.
‘These changes, though, didn’t cut me off f rom student life. I wanted to enjoy everything about my experience of university – the friends, the new interests and the social side as well a s the study that would hopefully mark out my career. But it took some reorganising and a commitment to set aside time to eat more healthily. 4
‘To be honest,’ Matthew says, ‘when I lef t home for university, I didn’t give a great deal of thought to how I would feed myself. At that time I was more concerned with all the other challenges ahead of me, particularly the academic ones, and anyway I knew how to heat up ready meals. 1 C Especially as I was trying to keep up with difficult new work, and socialising into the small hours with new friends.
‘Within weeks of changing to a balanced diet of healthy, freshly cooked food, my concentration powers, my energy and my appearance were all improving. Getting organised brings benefits. I got into the habit of preparing double portions for the fridge or freezer. I would buy fish or chicken portions, add vegetables and throw the whole thing in the oven. 5 It’s also good to keep a stock of frozen vegetables to save time and to eat wholegrain foods which fill you up for longer. At exam time, when time is really short, and I’m starving, I can make a filling omelette in minutes.’
‘At first I couldn’t believe that snacking on nothing but junk food and sometimes skipping meals altogether could have serious ef fects. 2 I had much less energ y than before.’ And, worryingly, he was in bad shape. ‘That did it,’ he admits. ‘After a lifetime of healthy home cooking, I was suddenly living on junk food. My diet and lifestyle were harming my system and I desperately needed to turn things round.’
What were the reactions to his new lifestyle? Matthew explains: ‘Well, these days it’s cool for guys to be interested in cooking. True, there were jokes that I’d let the side down and abandoned student traditions. 6 But I learned that if you are on an intensive course – I’m doing engineering – you need to have the strength for study and, hopefully, a social life too.
He returned to university equipped with a new pan or two and some cooking lessons from Mum under his belt. ‘I decided to eat as much fresh food as possible – not difficult since I’ve always enjoyed fruit and vegetables,’ says Matthew. ‘I took time to seek out the best and cheapest places to shop. 3
‘It was no different for my friends. 7 But we all came to realise that you need to take care of your body if your mind is to be at its best. And taking an hour or even less to prepare and cook a healthy meal or two still leaves you plenty of time for every thing else.’
I hadn’t, of course. Cooking it that way saves on pots and washing up, and it’s an easy, tast y meal. Before long, though, I was getting pretty fed up with eating those and I started to think cooking for myself might be important after all. D I’m not saying they suddenly developed an interest in eating healthily. E Eating out like that quite often also made a considerable difference. F On the more positive side, doing all this became easier as time went on. G But after a few months I made my first visit home, and the family’s comments on my unhealthy appearance made me realise it was true. H In the same way, I got to know the best times to find the freshest items and when to pick up a bargain. A B C
Exam tip
Make sure the extra sentence doesn’t fit any of the gaps.
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